Pleating of draperies



May 6, 1952 H. SHERMAN PL EATING 0F DRAPERIES 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 27, 1950 INVENTOR:

HARRY SHERMAN,

ATTORNEY y 1952 H. SHERMAN 2,595,549

PLEATING OF DRAPERIES Filed May 27, 1950 5 sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 6.

FIG. 5.

FIG.9.

INVENTORS ATTORNEY HARRY SHERMAN,

BY mmaa-kw May 6, 1952 H. SHERMAN PLEATING OF DRAPERIES 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 27, 1950 INVENTOR:

HARRY SHERMAN,

ATTORNEY Patented May 6, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to home decorating hangings, such as window curtains, draperies and valances, especially of the pinch pleat type. A pinch pleat usually comprises spaced-apart groups of knife-pleats, with each group usually comprising three pleats extending radially from a substantially common center. These pleats are sewed into permanent position for a short distance from the supported edge of the curtain and therebelow they merge into folds. The supported edge of the curtain is reinforced with a band-like strip of buckram or other stiffening material, extending transversely of thecurtain, over which strip the curtain is passed on each side thereof, so that the strip is enclosed. by a fold of the curtain fabric.

At the present time, such pinch-pleat hang- I ings are made in a painstakingly slow fashion.

After the buckram is enclosed by the curtain fabric, the operator measures a certain distance from the edge of the hanging, along the stiifened portion thereof, and folds the stiffened portion at a point which would form the center pleat of a group of three pleats. From this point, at another measured distance, a row of stitching is made laterally along the stiffening, which permits enough space for forming the other two pleats of the group.

The pleats are formed free hand by grasping the center point and forcing the fabric covered stiffening inwards into a fan like shape, which is then held permanently in place by a short row of stitching extending transversely from and slightly below the lateral row of stitching. This process is repeated with each group of pleats, which may number from as little as three or five in narrow Width curtain or drapery hangings to as many as from ten to fifty or more in extra wide hangings or valances. must be exercised to make each group of pleats identical in form and size, and to space each group equidistantly in accordance with a predetermined measurement.

This conventional method of making pleats is not only time consuming and tedious, but requires sewing machine operators who become skilled at this work only by long experience. This is improved upon by the invention of my patent application Serial Number 123,596 filed October 26, 19 M), now Patent No. 2,520,787 of August 29, 1950, by the use of which invention there is eliminated entirely the necessity for any measuring to assure perfectly formed pleats and accurate spacing between th pleats. That invention .is practicable by first 'pre-p'leating a Great care shape-retaining reinforcing strip, such as buckram, in a machine pleater, thereby causing all the pleats to be precisely identical and the groups of pleats to be precisely identically spaced apart. When this pre-pleated buckram is sewed into the curtain, the curtain conforms to the shape of the pre-pleated stipv due to the natural spring back of the buckram. Therefore, the curtain falls into a semi-pleated state, which requires only stitching to attain permanence. There is no measuring to do, and the curtain maker has only to press together with the fingers the clearly visible pre-formed pleats.

While that invention solved successfully the problem of machine rare-pleating, it is an object of this present invention to extend or add to the features of advantage realizable by that prepleating invention to the extent of overcoming if not eliminating a disadvantage or fault now rather common with pinch-pleat hangings. That fault is one of appearance or lack of neatness and symmetry rather than one of structure. One mi ht say that if there is no structural fault it is not worth overcoming, but attention is called to the fact that hangings usually are made use of for decorative or aesthetic reasons rather than practical ones, so anything that improves the aesthetism of such hangings is important and desirable. The fault that this invention is to overcome is the fact that as the hangings are extended toward each other and retracted from that position in usual adjustment of the hangings, the loops of material that extend outwardly from the window into the room from between adjacent pairs of pinch-pleats normally have little symmetry in that they extend at different angles and in different shapes. So it is an object of this invention to so pre-treat the buckram or other stiffening and shaping strip these loops always extend from the hanging in substantially parallel relation to each other and to substantially the same extent in accurately centered position between their adjacent pairs of pinch-pleats. To that end, another object of this invention is to devise ways and means supplemental to the pre-pleating of the buckram to have pinch-pleats so that accurately centered between adjacent groups thereof, there is provided a transverse bend or crease in the buckram directed from the buckram in the same direction as the room-facing bends of the groups of pinchpleats, and a still further object is to form those intermediate creases or bends at the same time that the buckram is being pre=treate d. Another important object is to provide an linked guide which an operator may follow in determining quickly the length of buckram to be cut for draperies of any given width.

These objects, and possibly others, are realizable by modifying the machine pleater of my said patent application to provide between each set of co-acting male and female dies that form equidistantly spaced groups of pinch-pleat bends in the strip of buckram or other shape-retaining reinforcing material, another co-acting male and female ie whereby a permanent bend parallel and similarly directed to the pinch-pleat bends is made in the buckram spaced accurately midway between adjacent sets of pinch-pleat bends. These operations can best be performed by having two tangentially disposed rotary cylindrical die rolls, of which each has alternating male die projections and female indented die areas with the latter on one roll aligned and correlated with the male dies on the other roll, with the buckram strip to be creased passing tangentially between the male and female die rolls at their point of tangency. The elongated strip of buckram so treated emerges from between the rotary dies with groups of pre-pleated bends or creases and carefully centered therebetween is a single independent crease that is the subject of this invention. The resulting elongated pre-creased buckram is then formed into a roll, and such rolls sold to the trade for subsequently being used in the manufacture of pinch-pleated hangings, which when hung have each loop of material between groups of pinch-pleats always neatly centered and always extending in the same direction and to the same extent as each other similar loop.

To provide the guide for determining the length of buckrain which will be needed for a drapery of any given width, the co-acting male and female dies are provided with an inked felt pad so located that one revolution of the die, in one automatic operation, will pre-crease the buckram into the number of pleats needed for a certain size drapery, pre-crease the buckram to provide decorative uniformly shaped room facing folds between pleats, and mark the length so an operator can see at a glance how much is needed to form this pre-measured drapery.

The best embodiment of this invention now known to me is shown in the figures of the accompanying drawings. These are illustrative only and are not to be deemed limiting, the scope of this invention being determined by the scope of the appended claims, including their equivalents.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an isometric view of a strip of shape-retaining material, such as buckram, with the strip pre-pleated, the fold prescored and the length marked.

Figure 2 is a similar View but with the prepleated strip formed into pleats.

Figure 3 is a view of the completed drapery, with pinch-pleats, in final extended position.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view through which show the steps which are followed in forming a pleat, whil Figure 9 shows a roll of the preformed buckram in the condition in which it is sold, with a guide mark on its leading edge.

Figure 10 shows a side view of a male and female die in the process of pre-forming and marking a length of buckram.

Figures 11 and 12 are an end view of these dies indicating the formation of the ridges and grooves and the marking block.

More specifically in the drawings, 2:9 indicates the strip of shape-retaining reinforcing material. In Figure 1, such a strip is shown in the form in which it comes from the dies. That portion of the material which is to be formed into a group of pleats is collectively designated 22. This pleat is composed of five creases designated l through 5. The portions between the pleats which form the specific subject matter of this invention are designated 30 and 3!. Equidistant between the pleats is independent crease G which divides the section 35 from 3 I. This crease is formed so that sections 36 and 35 will fold outwardly toward the room when the drapery is retracted. In Figure 2,

the buckram 21] is partially formed into pleats by folding along creases I through ii. Because of the method of making these creases, the pleat 22 automatically falls into the position shown in Figure 3 when grasped by the fingers. The mark ing guide 5!) is located at the beginning of the strip of buckram and it is at this mark that the operator cuts off the length of buckram. for the particular size drapery which is being made.

Figure 3 shows the finished drapery with fabric covering the reinforcing material or buckram 23. The pleats are shown in finished form, with all stabilizing stitching in place. The draperies are in an extended position and folds 3t and 3! appear to be essentially flat in this view.

In stitching the pleat, the pleat 32 shown in Figure 2 is grasped and pressed tightly together. The pieces of fabric immediately adjacent to the pleat 32 are folded backwards and stitched along lines II and I2. A second row of stitching is made along seam 32 in order to hold the folds of the pleat together. By stitching only along seam 32 which is located at the bottom of the pleat, the upper portion of the pleat is permitted to fan out due to the natural springiness of the buckram.

The method of attaching the drapery material to the reinforcing strip 20 is shown in Figure 4. The upper edge 38 of the drapery fabric is sewed to the lower edge of the reinforcing strip 2d. The drapery material is then folded upwardly, as at 39, then over the top of the pro-pleated strip 23, and downwardly as at 32, with the result that the strip is covered with and completely enclosed by the drapery fabric. It is then stitched in this enclosing position. Since the fabric is thus stitched in very close and intimate contact with the strip, the bends forming the pleat cause the fabric to conform huggingly thereto so that an operator can readily discern where they are and assemble the pleat in his fingers.

When the finished drapery is hung on the window or other desired place, the pleats will retain the same shape and appearance whether the drapes are drawn over the window or whether they are opened. However, the fabric or mate rial between the pleats presents quite a different picture. When the drape is in the drawn or extended position, the fabric between the pleats, when viewed from the room, presents a fiat appearance, as shown in Figure 3. With a preformed crease 6 in the reinforcing material, the draperies, when viewed from the room and when .in an open position on the window, presentan appearance as shown in Figure 5. Each of the creases 6 is folded precisely at the proper place, each equidistant between pleats, and each extending toward the room. Thus an extremely symmetrical and orderly decorative arrangement is created. A schematic view of this symmetry is shown in Figure 5, with the old fashioned haphazard formation of folds between pleats being contrasted in Figure '7. Folds 40 and 4|, in Figure 7, show the form which these folds must take or must find themselves when there is no set guide for them to follow as they are forced nearer together into the retracted position.

By following the sequence of operations shown in Figure 8, one can see exactly what is the procedure for forming a pleat. By grasping the fabric covered buckram between the fingers, the operator can immediately squeeze the material in the shape shown in view A. This will automatically locate the position of the pleat and will automatically form each pleat uniformly distant from the adjacent pleats. Fabric 33 and 34 is then folded backward as in view B. Since the operator now knows the position of the pleat, he is able to make folds H and I2 as in view C by forcing fabric 35 and 36 forward while holding the entire pleat between his fingers. The pleat is then stitched at H and I2 to form the finished pleat of view D.

The dies with co-acting male and female sections which are used to make the necessary creases in the buckram are shown in Figures 10, 11 and 12. The rotating dies 60 and Ill are designed to complement each other and are used in such pairs. Die 60 contains ridges 62, 64 and 66 and grooves 63 and 65. These intermesh with their complementary counterpart on die Ill. These ridges and grooves form the basic crease lines for the pleat. In addition, ridge 6'! is located equidistant between the groups of ridges and intermeshes with groove H to form the crease 6 which is the subject matter of this invention. The groove into which the ridges mesh has an angle of approximately 20 and thus is self-cleaning, preventing build-up of starch, etc. from the buckram. At one point on die is located an inked felt pad 18 which contacts block 68 of die 60. This marks the buckram once each revolution and thus shows the point to cut for one drapery at the exact distance ahead of the first pleat. A different die is required for each drapery width but there are only a few standard sizes in the ready made drapery trade.

By the use of this invention, there is created a pre-formed strip of reinforcing material, which, in one and the same operation, is completely converted into a unitary reinforcing product. This reinforcing material permits the skillful operator to turn out many more completed units per day than was previously possible, with the added feature that there is no operators time required to fashion a drape which will have uniform folds between each group of pleats. Also, with this invention, the amateur seamstress is assured a professional product because the diflicult work of checking on the uniformity of the finished drapery is done previously by mechanical means.

What I claim is:

1. The process of forming a pinch-pleated drapery, which comprises pre-pleating a strip of shape-retaining drapery-reinforcing material with spaced apart groups of pinch-pleats and a single independent crease located midway between adjacent groups, stitching to the bottom edge of the strip a supporting edge of drapery fabric, looping the fabric around the strip to enclose it, stitching the fabric in intimate stripenclosing and -hugging position whereby the location of the pleats and creases is indicated through the fabric, gathering the fabric and its enclosing pleats into grouped pinch-pleats, stabilizing each group of pleats by stitching the fabric through the pleats across one end of each group and along one side leaving the single creases completely free, whereby as the draperies are extended toward each other and retracted from each other the loops of material between adjacent groups of pleats are assuredly centered and similarly as well as symmetrically extended into the room by the single creases of the strip.

2. The process according to claim 1, with the addition of first pleating the shape-retaining material and creasing it in linear repetition, applying a guide-mark to the material between a predetermined number of pleats, severing strips from the material substantially between the guide marks, and placing a severed strip in draperyenclosing position.

HARRY SHERMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,124,650 Chessler July 26, 1938 2,495,130 Pilliner Jan. 17, 1950 2,512,868 Martens June 27, 1950 2,520,787 Sherman Aug. 29, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 8,793 Great Britain Apr. 22, 1908 

